Navigating the Danger Zone – How to keep your top talent

Justin

March 8, 2016

Recruiting & Hiring

The old saying goes that ‘Employees don’t leave jobs, they leave their managers’. As much as we can think of 101 reasons why that employee must have REALLY quit before we accept that the reason might have actually been ourselves, it’s worth assessing how you’re really treating your staff.

1. They Overwork People

Don’t punish them for great performance.

2. They Don’t Recognise Contributions and Reward Good Work

Find out what makes them feel good (for some, it’s a raise; for others, it’s public recognition) and then to reward them for a job well done.

3. They Don’t Care about Their Employees

Bosses who fail to really care will always have high turnover rates. It’s impossible to work for someone eight-plus hours a day when they aren’t personally involved and don’t care about anything other than your production yield.

4. They Don’t Honour Their Commitments

When you disregard your commitment, you come across as unreliable, uncaring, and disrespectful. After all, if the boss doesn’t honour his or her commitments, why should everyone else?

5. They Hire and Promote the Wrong People

When managers don’t do the hard work of hiring good people, it’s a major demotivator for those stuck working alongside them. Promoting the wrong people is even worse.

6. They Don’t Let People Pursue Their Passions

Providing opportunities for them to pursue their passions improves their productivity and job satisfaction. Studies show that people who are able to pursue their passions at work experience flow, a euphoric state of mind that is five times more productive than the norm.

7. They Fail to Develop People’s Skills

Good managers manage, no matter how talented the employee. They pay attention and are constantly listening and giving feedback. When you have a talented employee, it’s up to you to keep finding areas in which they can improve to expand their skill set.

8. They Fail to Engage Their Creativity

The most talented employees seek to improve everything they touch. If you take away their ability to change and improve things because you’re only comfortable with the status quo, this makes them hate their jobs.

9. They Fail to Challenge People Intellectually

Great bosses challenge their employees to accomplish things that seem inconceivable at first. Instead of setting mundane, incremental goals, they set lofty goals that push people out of their comfort zones. Then, good managers do everything in their power to help them succeed.